Picking Up the Pieces
by bellyc123
Summary: Jacob said he loved me and he would never hurt me. He lied. I said I would always love him and I would never leave him. I lied, too. I pick up my daughter and leave our old life behind. I'm going to pick up the pieces of my heart and start over, and maybe…just maybe, I'll find the meaning of what true love really is. Warning: Some abuse and/or violence.
1. Introduction

I don't own Twilight. Stephanie Meyer does. I just borrow her characters and fuck them up and make them my own.

I've had this story in my head for a while so here it goes.

Be warned: There will be some abuse/violence in some parts of this story.

**Introduction**

God, I fucking hate him.

I hate his face.

His hair.

His fists and hands and legs.

I fucking hate everything about him.

He's not who I thought he was.

Who I fell in love with.

He's a fucking monster.

I gave him _my_ life.

_My_ love.

Every second of my time, and he repays me by beating the fuck out of me day in and day out.

"You fucking bitch," he sneers in my face. He's spitting and drooling like a rabid fucking dog and it's disgusting.

"You never fucking listen to me," he yells in my face. "Never. You make me do this to you. It's all your fucking fault."

He's punching me and kicking me over and over.

In my face.

My ribs.

My legs.

Anywhere he can get me.

I grunt and groan and cry out because the pain is unbearable.

I don't deserve any of this.

I can hear my Gracie in the other room crying, and it fucking kills me.

I try to get up, but he pushes me back down.

"You worthless piece of shit," I scream at him. "I fucking hate you."

_Whack!_

I can feel my eyes swelling.

My lips bleeding.

My ribs aching.

"Don't talk to me like that, Bella," he whispers in his stupid quiet voice like he's some God that deserves my respect.

"Fuck you," I spit at him.

That got me a punch to the side of my head.

I am sobbing, and I am fucking humiliated that I let it get to this point.

That I didn't leave sooner.

He's pacing back and forth right in front of me mumbling some incoherent bullshit when he suddenly turns my way.

I flinch.

He glares.

Then he walks out the front door slamming it behind him.

I hear his truck start and him peeling out of the driveway.

I jump up as fast as I can and rush to Gracie.

She's curled up in a little ball on her bed sobbing into her pillow.

I hold back my sob and go to her.

"It's okay, baby," I coo in a broken voice. "He's gone."

"I hate him, mommy," she cries.

My heart breaks.

She's too little to know hate.

That the hate is toward her own father is even worse.

"We're leaving, baby," I tell her. "We're going to go stay with Uncle Emmy where daddy can't hurt us anymore, okay."

She nods her head in my shoulder and squeezes me to her as tight as she can.

I whimper because it hurts…my body, my heart, and even my soul.

I pick up my daughter, and we don't look back as we leave our old life behind.


	2. Chapter 1

I don't own Twilight. Stephanie Meyer does. I just borrow her characters and fuck them up and make them my own.

**Chapter 1**

**3 days later…**

_Knock! Knock!_

I am pounding on my brother, Emmett's front door.

_Please be home…Please be home._

Just as I'm about to knock again the door swings wide open with a disgruntled, hot man standing in the doorway in nothing but a pair of black boxer briefs that fit him snug in all the right places.

_That is _so _not my Emmy. _

"What the fuck?" he growls all mean-like.

_Did he just growl at me?_

"Where is Emmett?" I growl back. I am in no mood for moody hot men this early in the morning especially with Gracie hiding behind my leg.

"He's not here," he says impatiently. "Who the fuck are you?"

This guy is really working my last nerve, and I've only been standing here for like half a minute.

"I'm his sister you hot sack of shit. Now get the fuck out of my way." I turn around to pick up Gracie and push past him into the house.

"Dammitdammitdammit," I grumble.

My body is screaming in pain.

I fucking need Emmett. I don't even know if he'd welcome me here. I haven't seen him in over three years and the last time we talked I treated him like a mega bitch.

_Fucking Jacob and his god-damn fucking rules._

"Mommy," my Gracie says sweetly. "Those are not very nice words." She points at the half naked man across the room. "And that pretty man said the f-bomb," she whispers, loudly.

I want to laugh but turn and glare at him instead and notice that he's already staring at us with twitching lips.

"What!" I snap irritably.

He snaps his eyes to mine and scowls.

_Stupid hot son of a bitch._

"Emmett won't be home for two more days." His tone is clipped. "And what the fuck happened to your face," he growls in a low voice.

I roll my eyes.

"None of your damn…"

"My daddy hit my mommy in the face and kicked her over and over. He was so mad and mean to my mommy. It made me cry and it made me sad and I hate my daddy." Gracie quietly interrupts me with trembling lips.

_Ah fuck!_

I look up at - whatever his name is - to see that he has a look of disbelief on his face. His nostrils begin to flare and he's clenching his fists angrily.

"Where's Emmy's room? We need a place to sleep. Gracie hasn't slept in hours." My voice cracks and my heart pinches in my chest. I bend down and pick Gracie up and hug her tight because I am so sad for her and so fucking embarrassed that I put up with Jacob hitting me for so long.

He watches me comforting Gracie and his eyes soften and damn, that look looks good on him.

"His room is the last door on the right," he says quietly as he points down the hall.

"But mommy, I'm not even tired. I'm hungry," she whines in a whisper.

_Fuck._

"I'll get your fishies from your bag and you can snack on those and after we sleep for a bit we can go get breakfast, okay, baby?" I nod my head encouragingly.

"Okay, mommy," she yawns.

_God, I love her._

I make my way down the hall with Gracie in tow and find Emmett's room right where hot guy said it was. I pull Gracie up onto the bed and crowd the pillows around her. I find the remote to the T.V. on the night stand and switch it to Peppa Pig.

"PEPPA PIG," she squeals excitedly, and I giggle at her happiness.

"I'll be right back. I'm going to go get your fishies," I tell her. "You stay very still so you don't fall off this big bed, okay."

She nods her head distractedly.

I make my way back into the living room to get our bags and almost run right into…whatever the fuck this guy's name is.

I _really_ need to find out his name.

"Sorry," I mumble quietly.

I notice he has graham crackers and…_is that a juice box?_

"No problem," he says warily. "I found Gracie graham crackers and some juice. Emmett loves these things," he shrugs like it's no big deal.

"Thank you," I whisper as I take the food from his hands. "Goodnight…or well, good morning."

He nods his head in acknowledgement and reaches up and strokes my bruised face with his thumb; it takes everything in me not to flinch away from his touch.

His kindness is killing me.

I clear my throat. "What's your name?"

He drops his hand. "Edward," he says. "Edward Cullen. And yours?"

"Isabella," I reply; there's sadness in my voice. "Isabella Swan, but please call me Bella."

"Okay," he whispers.

I slowly back away from him and walk backward toward Emmett's room. He stares at me the whole time.

"I need Emmett." I whimper. "Please bring me Emmett," I beg brokenly as a tear slips down my cheek.

A look of extreme sadness crosses his face right before I close the door and go to my Gracie.

* * *

I groan as I slowly open my eyes. My head is freaking killing me and my whole body is aching.

And holy mother of God it is fucking humid. My shirt is sticking to me and my hair is stuck to my forehead and the side of my cheek.

_So gross._

I never knew Florida could be this damn miserable.

I roll over to check on Gracie, but she's not even there.

I sit up so fast it makes me feel sick, but I'm in such a panic that I ignore the woozy feeling for now.

I make my way to the bedroom door and as soon as I have it open I hear voices down the hall. There's no mistaking my Gracie's voice. She sounds so happy.

My heart clenches.

I make my way down the hall, and I spot Gracie on the couch snuggled up to Edward watching Peppa Pig. She's talking a mile a minute excitedly telling him about the episode that's playing.

He has his arm around her and she has her hand linked with his hand that's in his lap. He's smiling down at her.

I stifle a sob because she was never like this with Jacob.

Edward must hear me because his head snaps up and his eyes find mine.

He gives me a sad smile and it makes my eyes water.

"Hey there, sleepy head," he says quietly.

"Mommy," Gracie squeals.

She jumps off the couch and throws herself into my arms.

I yelp in pain and squeeze my eyes shut.

"I'm sorry, mommy," she whispers. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

"No, no Gracie. You didn't hurt me. I'm just a little sore." I squat down and pull her into my arms. "Give me a big squeeze, baby," I tell her quietly into her ear.

I can see Edward watching us over Gracie's shoulder. I give him a shaky smile.

Gracie pulls back and drags me to the couch by my hand.

"Mommy. Did you know his name is Edward?" She points at Edward.

I smile. "I did know that, baby."

"I love him so, so much. He made me a pancake for dinner that looked exactly like Peppa even her piggie nose," she giggles excitedly. "He let me help mix the doughy stuff and everything." She nods proudly.

I look at Edward and he is grinning down at Gracie. "You did so good, pretty girl," he tells her.

She smiles so big I can see all of her teeth. "He says I'm the prettiest little girl he's ever saw, and I told him I look just like my mommy so he must think you're pretty too." She's giggling. "And he said you are sooooo bootiful, mommy."

I blush, and Edward chuckles.

I look up and meet his eyes, and he winks at me.

_He is the sexiest thing I've ever seen._

I look away and down at Gracie. "Edward's right, baby. You _are_ the prettiest girl in the whole world, and I love you...so much."

"Mommy, I love you more," she says with a smile like it's the most obvious thing in the world.

My heart melts.

"I made you a piggie pancake too, mama," Edward says with a serious face.

Gracie squeals with laughter at his use of mama, and I can't help but laugh with her. I've never seen her so happy.

The second Edward stands up the front door flies open and Emmett is standing there staring right at me. I can't move, and it seems he can't either.

"Uncle Emmy," Gracie screams and runs as fast as she can and crashes into his legs.

He falls back a step before he steadies himself on the doorway with a stunned expression on his face.

He squats down to Gracie's level.

"Gracie," he croaks with wide eyes.

"Yes, silly," she rubs both his cheeks with her tiny little hands. "I missed you," she whispers. "I've never saw you before except in the picture mommy gave me, but I kiss it every night before mommy tucks me into bed. You have a pretty face. I tell mommy that you are so handsome." She's tracing his nose with her little finger. "Mommy says you are the bestest big brother ever and you always take good care of her no matter what. I wish I had a big brother to take care of me. Mommy said you love me whole bunches, and guess what?" She doesn't wait for him to answer. "I love you too." She gives him a tiny kiss right on the tip of his nose.

He chokes back a sob and pulls her into his arms. I can see the tears streaming down his face. She has her arms tightly around his neck and her cheek on his shoulder. "I love you, too, baby," he says. "I'm so happy to see you, and I've missed you, too." He pulls away to look at her face. He softly rubs her hair. "You are the most beautiful little girl in the whole world, Gracie." His voice audibly cracks.

"Thank you, Uncle Emmy," she says with a smile in her voice.

I can't hold back my sobs.

I feel Edward pull me into his side and hug me tight to him. I wrap my arms around him and squeeze. He rubs my hair and whispers that every thing's okay.

"Bella," Emmett says in a shaky voice.

I squeeze Edward tighter and shake my head. I'm afraid to look at him. Afraid to show him what Jacob's done.

Edward pulls back to look down at me. "I brought you your Emmett, baby," he says as he wipes the tears from under my eyes.

I nod shakily and slowly turn to my brother.

"Oh God, Bella," he whispers. "What the fuck?"

"Emmett," I cry.

In one step I am engulfed in his big arms.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry, Emmett," I wail. "I've missed you so much. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry." My voice is broken.

He's holding me so tight. His face is buried in my neck, and I can feel his tears on my skin.

"I love you, Bella. I'm so fucking happy you're here."

"I love you, too," I choke out.

He looks up at me then and his face is full of so many different emotions. He strokes my face; over each and every bruise. He shakes his head sadly. "I should have been there. I never should have left you there."

Now it's my turn to shake my head. "No Emmett," I say in earnest. "This isn't your fault. You had no idea. No one did."

I can tell he's not going to accept my words for the truth that they are.

He kisses my cheek and hugs me too him again. I love the feel of his arms around me. I've missed my brother…_so much._

Gracie squeezes her way between us and puts one arm around each of our legs. "Mommy always talks about you, Uncle Emmy." She looks up at Emmett. "She said that when we stay with you my daddy can't hurt us anymore. Pwease, don't let my daddy hit my mommy anymore," she begs.

Emmett closes his eyes, and I can tell he's trying to hold back his anger. He bends down to pick up Gracie.

"I won't let anyone hurt you and your mommy ever again. I promise."

Gracie nods her head and nuzzles his neck.

I turn and see Edward talking to a tall, beautiful blonde girl standing close to the door. She's looking at us with sadness in her eyes and a sad smile on her face.

She takes a step toward our little circle of three. "Hi," she says softly. "I'm Rosalie. I'm Emmett's girlfriend. I've heard so much about you."

"Hi Rosalie." I feel so embarrassed that she's seeing me this way. "It's so nice to meet you." I hold my hand out to her but she takes the last step between us and pulls me into a tight hug.

Edward grins at me over her shoulder and it makes my stomach flip.

"I'm so happy to finally meet you, Bella." She kisses my cheek softly as she steps back.

She's really tall. I'm only 5 feet 2 inches and I come up to her shoulders.

"Hi Rosawee, I'm Gracie," Gracie says happily.

Rosalie turns to Gracie and bends down and holds her hand out to her. "Such a pretty name for a pretty little girl," she says with a beautiful smile.

Gracie completely ignores her hand and throws her arms around Rosalie's neck. "You're very pretty, too."

Rosalie blushes. "Thank you, sweetie."

I smile a small smile at my Gracie. She's such a happy, loveable little girl despite the hell we've been through.

Emmett wraps his arm around my shoulder and kisses my temple.

"Gracie, do you want to come outside with me and see Uncle Emmy's puppy, Rocco," Rosalie looks to me for approval.

I nod my head.

Gracie's eyes get huge. "YES," she jumps up and down excitedly. "I _love _puppies."

We all laugh at her happy cuteness.

Rosalie grabs Gracie's hand and takes her through the dining room to go out the sliding glass door.

* * *

Edward and Emmett are both watching me.

"We need to talk about what happened to you, Bella," Emmett says through gritted teeth. "I want to know why the fuck your face is covered in bruises and why you cringe every time someone touches you."

I start to cry…again.

I take a deep, shuddering breath as I start to tell them the horror of my life.

"Jacob got mad because I left the house without him because Gracie needed fucking Tylenol and he wasn't home…he hit me and kicked me over and over and over until I could barely move," I sob.

"And this isn't the first time. He's been beating me for three years, and I was too fucking stupid and too fucking scared to leave. I had _nobody_," I whisper-cry.

"He took everything and everyone away from me. And when dad died 2 years ago, I was fucking devastated and that fucking prick beat me the day of his death because one of dad's co-workers fucking hugged me. _Hugged_ me." I can feel myself getting hysterical and it's all coming out and I can't stop it.

"He hit me right in the face because I let another guy hug me, and then he refused," I choke out. "Refused to let me go to dad's funeral. Can you imagine not going to your own father's funeral," I wail.

The tears are streaming down my face, and my heart is breaking all over again.

"It hurt so, _so _much. I hate him, Emmett. I hate him so fucking much. He stole my life when I was 16 years old and he fucking stomped all over it. He said…he said…he said he_ loved_ me," I hiccup.

"And I fucking believed him. But it wasn't true." I shake my head angrily. "How can you love someone and then treat them the way he treated me. That's _not_ love, and it took me three years to fucking realize that. I can't take any of it back now. I can't tell dad how fucking sorry I am. He'll never know how much I loved him and how much my heart hurt just thinking that he thought I never cared…that I gave up on him. And you know what? I can't bring myself to regret Jacob after all of this pain and heartache that he's put me through because he gave me the one good thing in my life. He gave me Gracie and she is my whole fucking world." I whisper.

"And Em, you don't know how sorry I am that I cut you out of my life. It killed…fucking _killed_ me to never talk to you. You're _my_ Emmett, and I just let you go like you were nothing to me. A little piece of my heart broke every single day that I couldn't talk to you or see you. I hate myself for all the time we've lost."

"Fuck…fuck…FUCK," Emmett yells.

His face is red, and he is so fucking angry. I can see the tears and the pain in his eyes. It kills me to see him this way. It kills me knowing that I shut my brother out for three years because Jacob was a manipulative, controlling, abusive dickhead.

"Emmett." I'm shaking. "I'm so sorry."

"Don't you dare fucking apologize to him, Bella." I jerk my head up at the sound of Edward's low, angry growl. I forgot he was in the room with us. "Don't you _ever_ apologize for something you had no control over. That piece of shit fucking hurt you over and over, and it is fucking normal to be scared. He manipulated you. He saw your weakness and he used it against you. He fucking _beat_ you for fucks sake." He's pulling at his hair in anger. In frustration. "You didn't deserve any of that shit, and if I ever see that fucker I will fucking kill him," he promises.

"He's right, Bella. None of this is your fault, and that motherfucker is never going to come near you or Gracie ever again."

Emmett pulls me into his arms and I sob into his chest. I'm pulling his shirt and letting out three years of sadness and pain and anger that I've kept inside for so long, and it hurts.

"Bella, why did you never come to me before it got this bad?" He sounds so sad. "I would have took you from him."

"I was young, Emmett. I had Gracie as a teenager, and I've always thought there was nothing else out there for me. I married Jacob because I loved him. It wasn't until months later that I found out what a monster he really was," I spit out angrily.

"And by that time, I was so fucking embarrassed. Fucking humiliated that I even let him touch me in the first place. He's so big, Emmett. I tried and tried to fight back and I just made it worse. He would threaten me. Threaten to take Gracie from me. Threaten my fucking life," I say quietly on the verge of tears again.

Emmett rubs my back in soothing circles. "It's okay, Bella. You're safe now."

"I really hope so, Emmett," I whisper. "I left three days ago after he stormed out of the house, and I know he is probably going crazy right now."

"We'll protect you, Bella," Edward says with so much passion that I believe him.

I turn to look at him and nod my head. "Thank you," I mouth.

He gives me a gentle smile in return.

* * *

"Mommy, wake up." Gracie is giving me kisses all over my face. "Wake up, sleepy head," she giggles.

"No, no I don't wanna wake up. Let me sleep a little longer," I tease her.

She laughs some more. "Mommy, hurry come eat breakfast. Guess what Edward made you?" I can tell by her voice that she's very excited.

"Hmm, is it broccoli?" I scrunch my nose up at her.

"Oh yuck, mommy." She sticks her tongue out and pretends to gag.

I laugh out loud at her cute face.

"Huuurrrrrryyyyy," she begs.

"Okay, okay I'm coming."

She kisses my cheek and runs out of the room.

I go to the bathroom and wash my face and brush my teeth. God, this humidity is doing horrible things to my hair. I try to brush it out but it's just a huge kinky mess.

I give up and walk out of the room.

I can hear Emmett, Edward and Gracie all laughing in the kitchen before I even make it out of the hall.

I smile to myself. Gracie can make anyone fall in love with her.

Emmett notices me first and gives me a big smile.

Gracie is sitting on Edward's lap on one of the barstools with his back toward me. I sneak up behind them and squeeze Edward's ribs and yell all scary-like and Gracie giggle screams her head off.

Edward tries to act like it didn't scare him, but I felt him jump under my hands.

I'm laughing so hard I don't even notice Edward coming toward me. I scream when he picks me up over his shoulder and swats me on the butt.

"Put me down," I giggle.

He listens right away and slides me down his body.

I look up at him and then look down because I know I'm blushing.

I skip over to Emmett and wrap my arms around his big body, and he kisses my head.

I blow my Gracie a kiss. She puckers her lips back at me.

_She's so damn cute._

"Look mommy. Look what me and Edward made you for breakfast."

I turn and look where she's pointing and it's freaking frozen pizza.

I can't hold back my smile. "Aww, I fu...reaking _love _pizza," I squeal and jump a little.

Emmett squeezes me tight, and Edward grins all sexy showing off his pearly whites.

I grab a piece and shove it in my mouth. "Ahhhhh! Fuck, that's hot," I yell and throw my piece down on the counter.

"Mommy, langage," Gracie scolds; mispronouncing language.

"I'm sorry, baby but that was fucking hot." I rub my tongue with my fingers like my fingers will somehow bring my taste buds back.

My eyes widen. "I mean freaking hot," I laugh loudly.

Edward and Emmett roar with laughter when Gracie crosses her arms all motherly; glaring at me.

I walk over to where she's sitting on the counter. "Do you forgive me, baby?" I tickle her sides and kiss her all over her face. "Don't be mad at mommy. Mommy loves you," I tell her with a fake pout. Her eyes are crinkly happy and she's laughing and squirming away from my tickles.

"Stop, stooooop mommy. I forgive you," she yells and giggles at the same time.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you," I say dramatically and give her a sloppy kiss on her cheek.

"Mommy," she whines, wiping her face off.

"Hey, you wiped my kisses off."

"They were slobbery and wet," she says.

"Oh, I'm sorry." I lean over and give her a dainty little peck.

She grins.

"Now where the hell-o is my pizza?"

I look up to see Edward and Emmett staring at me with soft eyes and twitching lips.

I stick my tongue out at them and stuff my face with my now cooled off pizza.

"Mmmmmmmm, sooooo good," I moan with my mouth full not embarrassed in the least that I look like mommy piggie.

"Hey piglet," Emmett laughs. "Me and Rose were thinking of taking Gracie to the zoo today so you can have some time to rest. What do ya think?"

"WHAT," Gracie shouts. "OMG, Uncle Emmy! I've never, ever been to a zoo. Can I go, mommy pwease?!" She begs with pretty eyes.

I burst out laughing. "Where in the heck did you hear 'OMG'?"

"Duh, mommy. Snooki says it," she tells me as if I should have never needed to ask.

"Don't say duh."

"Why not," she sasses me.

"I hate that word," I shrug, like it's normal that I have to answer to my three year old.

She nods her head. "Okay. Can I go, can I go?"

"Of course, baby," I tell her softly.

"Woot, woot," she screams in her tiny little girly voice.

I snort right before I crack up laughing again.

When I finally compose myself I look over to see Edward staring at me like I'm…crazy? Emmett and Gracie aren't even in the room anymore.

"You know, Bella...you are fucking gorgeous when you laugh and smile and even when you're shoving pizza down your throat...but the way you are with Gracie," he shakes his head. "Fucking beautiful."

He turns to walk down the hall, and I'm left standing in the middle of the kitchen speechless.

_Holy shit!_


End file.
